Iran Threatens To Torpedo US Carriers In The Persian Gulf

Underscoring its desire to keep U.S. aircraft carriers from the
Persian Gulf, a senior Iranian military commander today announced
his possible plan to ambush the American fleet.

Chalk this one up to more bluster, or part of a mounting back and
forth rhetoric headed nowhere good, either way — Tehran plans to
rely on its subs.

Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Army's Self-Sufficiency
Jihad, Rear Admiral Farhad Amiri
told FARS that Iran has the finest electric diesel submarines
in the world, and that while the U.S. has focused on Tehran's
"astonishing surface capabilities," it has forgotten about the
underwater threat.

Amiri said he plans to slip his fleet of subs onto the Persian
Gulf floor and "fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously."

Iran claims to have 17 Ghadir
diesel electric subs in its fleet, and four have been
photographed together, so the threat is not entirely without
merit.

The Ghadir is incapable of holding a commando crew, and despite
scant details it may
be well-equipped to follow through on this most recent
threat.

Earlier this month Iran demanded the U.S. remove its carriers
from the Gulf after the John C. Stennis passed through the Strait
of Hormuz.

Iranian Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi said
"We advise, warn and recommend [the U.S. Navy] not to
return this carrier to its previous location in the Persian
Gulf."

"We are not in the habit of repeating the warning and we warn
only once," Salehi said, without mentioning the Stennis.

In a related update:FARS
reports that President Obama is calling for direct talks with
Iran and communicated this desire through a secret letter to the
Islamic Republic's supreme leader.

(Apparently FARS crashed from huge traffic. I'm leaving the link
in for when it comes back up).